Changed by Fire (Phoenix Rising #6) - Harper Wylde Page 0,152
your best friends,” I started, being a little easier than Molly’s prodding. “We can tell when you’re upset. Besides, everyone in the lodge knows you and Ciarán are on the outs. I think we need to talk about this.”
“What’s there to say?” Rini scooped another bite, staring longingly at the dessert on her spoon. “He doesn’t want me.” Her eyes watered, the tears threatening to drip down her tanned cheeks. “One day, he’s all over me, and I’m barely able to think straight with the way he touches me, and the next, he’s pulling away at the mere mention of a future together… the very thing he’d fought for until it all became too real. Until he realized…” Her voice shattered as she trailed off, and she shoved the bite into her mouth to smother a sob.
“Realized what?” I moved closer, sitting on the floor near her chair and placing a hand on her knee, patting her reassuringly while I plotted all the ways I would kill Ciarán for breaking my best friend. I’d never seen her so broken before, so lost. It was like all her confidence deflated during their fight, and now she had to fake it in order to make it through her day until she returned to her cabin and became… this. A moping, sad, ice cream devouring Sun Bear. Her sunshine was muted, the world desaturated from the loss of her mate.
“Come on, Rini,” Molly pleaded, scooting to the edge of her seat as she leaned forward and took Rini’s hand. “Spill.”
Rini sniffled and set her ice cream carton aside, wrapping her arm around her abdomen to hold herself together. “Until he realized he’d be shackling himself to a mere animal shifter. A Sun Bear. Me.” She swiped angrily at the lone tear that trickled from her eyes. “You’ve seen how powerful he is. He could do so much better than me, and he finally realized it when faced with making a commitment.”
“Like fuck,” Molly spat, her eyes fuming mad as she squeezed Rini’s hand a bit too hard in her anger, her Kraken’s strength showing through.
“I just wish…” Rini’s hand trailed to rub over her chest, right above her heart.
She didn’t need to finish that sentence. She wished he’d figured it out before she’d fallen in love with him. Their feelings for each other had always been as plain as day on their faces, her bears’ too. Over these last few months, they’d formed a family, and now Ciar had taken that away from her when she was supposed to be celebrating. Planning her mating ceremony without including him… it just didn’t feel right.
God, I wanted to smack him. No, that wouldn’t be enough. I wanted to knee him in the balls… or worse.
“Hey,” I murmured gently, grabbing her attention. Her sad eyes settled on mine. “You are one of the most amazing people I know. You’re sweet, kind, and bubbly, and all you ever want to do is help people. You don’t see people for what they are but for who they are. Any man would be lucky to have you, Rini. And if Ciar can’t see that, then he’s not worthy of you… not the other way around. Do you hear me?”
Rini let out a small, watery laugh and nodded, pulling her hand free so she could use both to wipe the moisture from her eyes.
“Good.” Molly nodded, grabbing another magazine and shoving it into Rini’s hands. “Besides, if Ciar can’t get his head out of his ass in time, you still have three incredible men. I’m jealous. I can’t even nail down one with Theo hovering over my shoulder all the time.”
I winced. “I know he’s been a bit overbearing, but he does it because he cares, if that helps at all.”
“It doesn’t,” Molly stated dryly, grabbing onto the topic that gave Rini a little breathing room and letting her compose herself. I saw her grateful smile as she blew her nose into a tissue and then started perusing the magazine pages, keeping one ear on the conversation while she mulled over what we’d said about her and Ciar’s relationship. “I know he means well, but how am I ever supposed to find my mates if I can never be alone with a man?”
“Do you have a particular man in mind?” Rini questioned, her mirth not fully registering in her eyes, though she tried.
Molly blushed, her pale skin turning fuchsia. Her gaze flicked to me, and I raised a brow, already